Rory Season Is Upon Us, Will He Step Up?

/

Rory McIlroy's game has been as good as ever at times but just a bit off too much to be racking up wins, but as I note in this week's Forward Press, the Wells Fargo Championship this week kicks off Rory's month.

Besides returning to Quail Hollow where he posted at 61 last year en route to winning, McIlroy then has two events he finds less compelling--The Players and BMW PGA--along with the Irish Open he hosts. We should have a pretty good idea where his game stands by month's end.

That and TV times on Wednesday's National Instruction Day, NCAA Men's Regional selections on Morning Drive, the European Tour and LPGA Tour this week.

Stuard's Historic Putting Performance Salvages Zurich Classic

/

Let's not sugarcoat this one: the 2016 Zurich Classic was pretty much a nightmare on all fronts thanks to horrible weather and players who didn't seem to be in a big hurry to finish Monday with another storm on the way. That slow play at least prompted some great on-air moaning from the always-morbid Peter Kostis, who had to stay another day on swampier-than-normal New Orleans.

(Bad news too, the tournament is not going anywhere as (Jeff Duncan at the Times-Picayune explains).

And while a 54-hole win is not as great as a 72-hole win, especially wearing a t-shirt under a golf shirt, the stats from playoff winner Brian Stuard help justify the win and all that comes with it:

He's also only the fourth tour even winner with a perfect scrambling record (20 for 20).

Stuard also found time after his win to talk to A.J. Voepel about the big day:


The final round highlights:

 

ShackHouse Podcast: Patrick Reed, Tiger, Olympics, Millennials

/

We're back after a two week hiatus we return with world No. 12 Patrick Reed fresh off his second place finish in the Valero Texas Open.

We discuss his bold play on 18th hole, the wait to hit the shot, his attempt to hole the eagle chip, his desire to make the Olympics, key food insights and more.

House and I also kick around the latest in Tiger and Olympic news, along with my criticism of the reaction to the Bahamas boys antics.

Here is the Soundcloud link to the Reed show.

iTunes link to the Reed episode and free subscription opportunities. And here are the current show pages for iTunes and for Stitcher. And those relying on pushed pods to your mobile device should have it soon.

As for a few things mentioned in the show...

Our presenting sponsor Callaway Golf has launched a Roku app with great content (AppleTV coming soon), including Callaway Live and other goodies. The Callaway community, sponsor of this week's Speed Round, is a must if you're a latest-and-greatest buyer. For those intrigued by Callaway's iron 50% trade-in offer, here's their iron selector page.

And don't forget that promo code HOUSE for some MeUndies, this week's sponsor! House swears by them.

Content wise, also mentioned:

Valero Open final round highlights from the 18th hole

Patrick Reed's post-round comments as reported by Will Gray

Wright Thompson's Tiger Woods story

My commentary on the millennial vacation for the ages

Tiger's swing as it looks today (Matthew Rudy with help from instructors dissects here).

Tiger's Dilemma: Start Slow Or An All-In Return?

/

Being that he's Tiger Woods, an appearance in the Medalist Member-Guest or the Jupiter Four-Ball probably isn't realistic. After all, if he didn't play like Tiger Woods in one of those events, he'd be ridiculed.

But I wonder if I'm the only one struggling with this idea that someone who has just had some major surgeries might just turn up at a big time PGA Tour stop like the Wells Fargo or Players. His agent continues to go with the no timetable answer, and that very well may be true and all of this is premature.

Though now we learn he is signed up for the U.S. Open which doesn't necessarily mean much, except that it is on his radar as a possibility. Maybe he's patterning himself after Hogan's '53 schedule and will keep it light on appearances, but focused on big events and that'll do. But as we discussed on Morning Drive today, the rhythm looks great but the range of motion still understandably limited (note the follow through)...

The Valero! San Antonio Serves Up A Fun Finish

/

For a change I listened to my own advice and watched the Valero Open more than any sane person should knowing that strange things happen at TPC San Antonio.

Sure enough, a grand, if horribly slow, concluding final round rewarded golf fans with a grand Valero finish. Charley Hoffman held off Patrick Reed to win. There was some great play, some choking, the threat of a semi-whiff lurking and some big decisions to make under the gun. The AP game story.

After, Patrick Reed didn't really seem very happy about second place and was pretty tough on himself. Will Gray reports for GolfChannel.com.

"I'm still first loser," Reed said. "I'm tired of finishing in second and top five and top 10. I need to close out tournaments and get Ws."

The highlights, including Hoffman's big reaction:

Spieth Effect? Heritage Ratings Worst Since Wind-Delayed Torrey

/

As Sports Media Watch points out, the Heritage Classic numbers dropped significantly from last year when Jordan Spieth made the weekend after winning the Masters.

This made me wonder if we are seeing a Spieth effect when he contends.

So far, the numbers, posted by Douglas Pucci at Awful Announcing and SportsTVRatings, do not suggest a Spieth bump.

CBS's Heritage numbers looked like this:

-1.6 Sunday rating with 2.5 million average viewers (down 30% but up 23% from 2014).

-1.1 Saturday ratings with 1.7 million average audience, down 21% and down 15% 2014).

Weekday and weekend coverage on Golf Channel didn't change much except for a noticeable drop Sunday morning:

-353,000 average Thursday 2015
-381,000 average Thursday 2016

-429,000 viewer average Friday 2016
-420,000 viewer average Friday 2015

-550,000 average Saturday 2015
-502,000 average Saturday 2016

-898,000 average Sunday 2015
-622,000 average Sunday 2016

Forward Press: Fighting Off The Post Masters Blues!

/

Trying to find a positive in a week that features the Valero, the Shenzhen, Swinging Skirts and Big Cedar Lodge Legends. No, we are not living in a Dan Jenkins novel. Yet.

That said, Nicklaus, Trevino and Player are teeing it up this week, so how bad can things be?

Read it all in the Forward Press.

And that sinkhole opening up on the course were the Legends is played? It's now an attraction:

Grace Wins, Els Strikes Back, DeChambeau's Debut (T4)

/

Kyle Porter considers some of the numbers from Bryson's DeChambeau and while they certainly don't guarantee success, it's an eye-opening debut a week after a strong run at the Masters. Will Gray on the successful start.

His post-round interview with Scott Walker:

And there was this from Golf Channel's Justin Ray:

 

 

How about Ernie Els recovering from his Masters struggles to finish T14th!

Oh, and small-ball grinder Branden Grace, inspired by Els this week (Will Gray reports), finally won a tour event after contending many times, including majors. Look out Players and U.S. Open! The highlights:

Poll: Post-Masters Distance Average & Bifurcation

/

Mike Stachura points out at GolfDigest.com how the PGA Tour driving distance average is on course for a new record high in spite of tough driving conditions at Augusta National this year.

This is news because we've been told by the governing bodies that things have flatlined, but any further "significant" increase on top of the significant increases of the last twenty years might lead to action.

The average drive of 277.8 for the week at the Masters was the lowest number for the tournament since 2008, and nearly 10 yards off of last year’s average of 286.2. But the PGA Tour average driving distance year to date is still almost 290 yards. The current 289.4 average marks the highest all-time, 1.6 yards over last year’s high mark.

But here's the one that'll make men in navy sweat.

Curiously, the PGA Tour record for average driving distance at the end of any year was set in 2011 at 290.9, but by Masters week that year, the average was 285.3, four yards shy of this year’s hot pace.

Now that more people have more understanding of the issues ramifications than ever thanks in part to an economic crisis, water issues, the lack of pleasure found in a 7,500 yard couse and a greater understand that distance is all relative for the elite player, it seems more people than ever understand the sensibility of bifurcating the rules between elite and hacker.

Adam Scott's recent comments to PGATour.com's Brian Wacker about limiting driver head size became more appealing to me (in light of what he said about the change in the driver's role). I don't know how much of an impact distance-wise such a size reduction would have, but given all of the whining about how difficult it would be to regulate the ball, this could be a solution that is more easily enforced and allow manufacturers to sell something to wannabe pros (and slightly larger versions of the same club to the general public).

But most of all, such a reduction in driver head size could return the reward for driving the ball with length and accuracy, while allowing the sport to put an end to the unproductive expansion of its 18-hole footprint.

What is the most sensible bifurcation solution for golf?
 
pollcode.com free polls

Video: Camilo Doesn't Like A Ruling Everyone Else Agreed On

/

His scorekeeper and first round leader Brendan Grace didn't see the ball as embedded, and the first official on the scene (John Mutch) did not see it either.

Add the second official, Gary Young, and you'd think the trifecta of opinions would have made Camilo Villegas more accepting.

Nope.

As Alex Myers notes, Villegas was pretty displeased. As I watched this live, I was more amazed by how close the camera man got to the action. The sound was pretty swell too, so nice job by the CBS crew to capture a PGA Tour pro at his whiniest!